Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computing systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to architecture and methods for providing secure operating modes of a computer system.
Related Art
Cyber security is significant issue facing society with society's ever increasing reliance on computing devices. The greater the reliance on computing devices translates to increasing amounts of data stored and/or accessed by computing devices to execute requested tasks. For example, computing devices are no longer limited to servers, databases, and/or desktop computers. Rather, computing devices such as mobile devices and smartphones, are being increasingly relied upon the workplace, in everyday life and so on. Further, systems such as automobiles, devices around the home, elements of SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition systems) that control power, traffic, and many other facets of infrastructure now contain embedded computing devices.
The greater the reliance on computing devices translates to increasing amounts of data stored and/or accessed by computing devices in order for the computing devices to execute requested tasks. The significantly large quantities of computing devices in so many different applications that are accessing data provide a target rich environment for hackers to hack into such computing devices and access the data and/or gain control of the computing devices to fraudulently implement the data and/or computing devices to negatively impact individuals and/or society.
Conventional methods of security attempt to isolate data that is accessible based on security postures. For example, a set of data and applications associated with a specific individual are only available to the computing system that the individual is engaging after the individual has provided the appropriate password. However, a hacker and/or malicious code that are able to bypass the security can still access the data and applications because the data and applications are still accessible to computing device.
Other conventional methods of security attempt to add virtualized layers of security, such as a hypervisor. The hypervisor than acts as the gatekeeper and determines which data can be accessed based on the security postures associated with the operator and/or software attempting to access such data. However, the data and applications are still stored on the computing device and accessible by the operating system of the computing device. A hacker and/or malicious code that are able to bypass the hypervisor can still access the data because the data is present on the computing device. If the security levels are breached, the secure data can be captured.
Any type of conventional method of security that has the data that is to be protected remain on the computing device and/or is accessible to the operating of the computing device is susceptible to a data breach. Eventually, a hacker and/or malicious code that are sufficiently sophisticated may overcome the security and access the secure data when the data is accessible to the operating system of the computing device.